Improvement in machines for sawing wood



Fries.

PATaNT SPENCER LEVIS, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SAWlNG WOOD..

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,3S, dated May 2l, 1850.

`To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SPENCER Lnwrs, of Tiffin, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Machine for Sawing l/Vood; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, constituting part of this specification.

Figure l represents an elevation of the machine, the wood being clamped in the jaws, the feedinglever depressed, and the saw in the act of4 operation. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view'of the same, the saw, with its swinging sash, being turned over to the right end of the machine. Fig. a is a longitudinal section through the left portion of the machine on the dotted plane x a: of Fig. i?, the wood having been cut and the lifting-lever moved forward and the saw, with its swinging sash, elevated therewith, and the feeding-lever raised in a position to feed the slide and log for another cut. Figuet is avertical transverse section on the dotted plane o 0 of Fig. 2, showing the jointed reachin g-arm, rack, slide-bar, tbc. Fig. 5 is the same on the dotted plane .e of Fig. 2, showing the bent arm to lift the feedinglever, dac.

Similar letters refer to the same parts on the above figures.

The distinguishing characteristic of my invention consists in reducing and alleviating the laborious business of sawing fuel wood into shortcuts, suitable for burning in stoves, the., by the combination and arrangement of certain mechanical devices with a reci procating saw, by which the wood to be cut is held firmly between self-clamping hinged jaws, the

`descent of the swinging sash (after the wood has been cut) serving to advance a horizontal suspended lever' in a position to be struck and lifted by a rotating lifting-arm fixed to a hori- 4zontal transverse shaftl and elevate the swinging sash over a spring-catch and at the same time raise the feeding lever, through the agency of a-transverse bent lifting-arm, to be actuated by a forked arm on the transverse shaft to operate a jointed reaching-arm to move the slide-bar and wood in a position for another cut by simply continuing to turn the crank-handle. l

A is the frame, constructed of suitable size to contain the several parts of the machine, and is supported by four legs B B.

O is the crank-'shaft arranged midway the frame, having its bearings in the upper ends of two posts C C', mounted upon the frame,

on one end of which there is a pinion D, which matches with a cog-wheel D', and on its opposite end is a balance or fly wheel C2 for steadying the motion of the crank-shaft. Directly below the crank-shaft there is a shaft E, having its bearings in the posts C and in a plate E', to support its outer end, on which the cog-wheel D' is secured and towhich the crank-handle E2 is attached for operating the machine.

F is a swinging sash made of rod or bar iron in the form of three sides of a parallelogram, having its bearings F F', upon which it swings on the crank-shaft, so as to permit it to be changed to either end of the frame, the sides of the sash serving as ways for the saw-frame.

The saw-frame consists of two horizontal transverse bars G G, whose cnds are made to fit and move over the sides of the sash, and two vertical end bars G G', to the ends of which are secured the saws G2 G2. These bars are connected at their centers and braced by a central rod G3, on one end of which a screw-thread is cut to receive a nut d, which is screwed against the inside of the bars G G at their, intersection when it is desired to strain the saws. To the opposite end of said central rod G3 the connecting-rod IG4 of the crank C'l is attached.

II is a slide-bar placedtransvcrselyin openings in the side beams of the frame upon rollers I I', over which it slides with the wood. These rollers I I are secured in cavities in the Fbeams by having their gudgeons in plates c c, screwed therein.

To the slide-bar I-I are secured two horizontal plates J J by screw-bolts passed through flanges projecting therefrom in such manner as that the plates shall be on a line with the tops of the'beains, as seen in Fig. 4t. Upon these plates J .I are secured self-clamping and self-adjustive jaws consisting of two plates K K', curved at their upper ends and connected by a hinged joint K2. The portions K of the jaws are secured to the plates .l by hinged joints K3 K3, which act as fulcra to said jaws in expanding and contracting the Same. The adjacent portions K are not confined, but are permitted to slide over the plates J in raising or lowering the j'aws to open or close the same, having slits d d therein, which move over pins or bars ce', projecting from the plates J J, which serve as guides to the jaws. The jaws next to the crank-handle is provided with a clamping-lever L, att-ached to the joint K3, an d extending through the slot d of theloose plate of the jaw and formed into a handle L. This lever L is also attached to the hinged joint K2 by a short connecting-bar L2. (See Fig. l.) The guidebar e is notched, over which a point f, Fig. 2, on the side of the lever L moves to hold said jaws in a clamped position.

M, Fig. 4, is a rack secured to the under side of the slide-bar H, into the teeth of which a jointed reaching-arm is made to impinge to move said slide-bar. The roller I is grooved or divided, as seen in Fig. 3, to allow the rack to pass through with the motion of the slidebar.

N is the jointed reaching-arm attached to the inside of the beam A by a hinged joint N', Fig. 4. This reaching-arm is made in two parts connected by a joint N2, and when contracted resembles a pointed arch inverted, and is for the purpose of iinpinging against the teeth of the rack M to move the slide-bar H. This jointed reaching-arm is held in a proper position, when contracted, by a staple N3, against which it rests, and its loose or reachin g end is prevented from falling or sagging by a spring Z) on the under side of the hinged part with its end fastened in the knuckle of the joint N2, as seen in Fig. 4.

O is the lifting-lever, suspended by a rod o to the top of two bars 0 o', fixed to a horizontal bar o2 nearly midway between. the crank-shaft C and end of the frame, as seen in Fig. This lifting-lever O is situated near the back beamAand extends longitudinally to nearl the end of the frame, and is turned upward at its end to form an inclined plane P, against which a short bar I, projecting from the extreme end of the swinging sash, is made to strike (upon the descenty of the same) when the wood has been cut to move said lever O inward to be elevated by a rotating lifting-arm W and with it the swing'-` ing sash, as shown in Fig.

Q Q are two arms bolted to the lever O near its inner end and projectingupward and outward in such a manner as to catch under the sides of the sash in lifting it over the catch R of the spring-catch R. The outer end of the lifting-lever is made to slide back and forth in a groove in the end cross-beam.

R is the spring-catch, bolted to the inside of the beam, having near its upper end a catch R over which the swinging sash catches, and is supported during the operation of feeding the wood for another eut.

S is the feeding-lever, suspended to a vertical bar S near its center by a pin t, on

which it vibrates, said bar S moving vertically as the lever S is raised and lowered through an opening in the b ar 02, and a box s projecting from the under side of the same for guiding said vertical bar. The outer end of the lever S has a plate s thereon for pressing against the reaching-arm, said lever extending inward beyond the shaft of the crankhandle to receive the action of the forked arm thereon.

T is the bent lifting-arm, attached to the frame by a stud T by a pin t, on which it turns, and extending transversely adjacent to the upright bars o o to the vertical bar S for raising the same simultaneously with the ascent of the lifting-lever O by its end striking against a pin T? projecting from the top of the bar S,when the feeding-lever S is down,

and thus raise said feeding-lever by the ascent of the lifting-arm T.

U is a spring attached to the horizontal bar o2 and extending against the inner side of the vertical bar S', having a pin fu, on its end, which enters an opening in said bar to hold it in a raised position, as seen in Fig. 3.

V is a bent rod secured t the horizontal bar o2 by a box o, in which it turns. One end of this bent rod is attached to the inside of the spring-catch R, and its other end bent so as to project inward and over an inclined jog a2 on the end ot' the spring U, so that when the spring-catch R is pressed inward to relieve the swinging sash after the wood has been set the inner end of the bent rod V will be depressed over the inclined jog u2, and unlock the vertical bar S of the feedinglever.

W is a rotating lifting-arm, attached to the shaft of the crank-handle by a screw w for elevating the suspended lever 0 upon its advance thereto by the descent of the saw.

.X is a forked arm also attached to the shaf t of the crank-handle and revolving with the same for alternately depressing the inner end of the feeding-lever to elevate its opposite end to operate the reaching-arm.

Operation: The slide -bar H being in a proper position at the commencement of the operation, and the wood to be cut into short pieces clamped between vthe selfclamping jaws and held by the clamping-lever L, should the weight of the wood not be snfticient, the feeding -lever S is depressed and the suspended lifting-lever O in the position represented in Fig. 1, and the swinging sash with its saw being relieved from the spring-catch R, the operator then lays hold of the crankhandle E2 and actuates the saw. When the wood has been eut, the sash F by its weight descends slightly, and the bar P', projecting from its end, strikes the inclined end Pof the suspended lever O and causes it to ad- Vance, when its inner end will be elevated by the rotating lifting-arm W in the arc of a circle. Simultaneously with this movement the bent lifting-arm T will also be raised, and with it the vertical bar S', which raises the feeding-lever S, and the swinging sash F will be made to pass over the catch R of the spring-catch R. The lifting-lever O is then relieved from the arm XV and made to resume its position, as before, by its weight and peculiar connection with the suspending-rod 0. The operator continuing to turn the crankhandle E2, and the forked arm X revolving with the shaft of the same, bears down the inner end of the feeding-lever S and elevates its opposite end, and thus elevates or expands the jointed reaching-armN, which impinges against the teeth of the rack M, and thus moves the slide-bar and Wood in a position for another cut. The operator then presses the spring-catch R inward and relieves the swinging sash F, with its saw, which descends upon the wood, and at the Same time unlocks the spring U from the vertical bar S', by the inner end of the bent rod V bearing upon the inclined jog u2 ot' the spring U and forcing the pin u from the hole in the bar S', when the feeding-lever will descend and the operation of sawing be continued. In this manner logs of Wood are cut into the required number of pieces. A similar arrangement of parts to produce a like effect maybe secured to the opposite end of the frame.

Having described the construction and operation of my machine, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination and arrangement of the suspended vibrating feeding-lever Si and rotating forked arm X, jointed reaching-arm N, rack M, and slide-bar H7 with the self-clamp ing self-adjustive hinged jaws K K', for holding the wood firmly during the operation of sawing, the feeding of the log being effected by means of the rotating forked arm X actuating the feeding-lever S, in the manner described and represented.

2. The combination and arrangement of the suspended lifting-lever O and rotating liftin arm WV on the shaft E with the swinging sash F, as described, by which the descentof the swinging sash Will cause the lever O to advance toward the rotating lifting arm YV when the Wood is cnt, and thus elevate the swinging sash F, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination of the transverse bent lifting-arm T and suspended lifting-lever O with the suspended feeding-lever S, bent rod V for unlocking the spring-dog U, and vertical spring-catch R, as described, by which the feeding-lever S is engaged with the jointed reaching-arm N simultaneously with the ascent of the swinging sash,in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto signed my name before two subscribing Witnesses.

SPENCER LEWIS. Vituesses:

LUND WASHINGTON, WM. P. ELLIOT. 

